Story of my Life
by RandomHatTheif
Summary: Latvia has a hidden talent, and a hidden crush. Belarus needs new reading material, and maybe she needs her eyes opened too. LatviaXBelarus RavisXNatalia
1. Chapter 1

Back in the day, everyone that made up the House of the U.S.S.R. Had to find _something _to pass the days with, so they all picked up habits and hobbies:

Estonia became a technical genius.

Lithuania learned to cook like you wouldn't believe.

Ukraine grew a green thumb.

Russia got the knack for wood carving.

Latvia began writing.

And Belarus began reading.

Back then, days passed pretty slow between conflicts, and although the peace was appreciated, cabin fever could set in fairly quickly, and something else would get stirred up. But somehow, around all of that, things got set into motion, and it was a slow occurrence, but with Latvia perusing his dream of putting his thoughts on paper, and Belarus ghosting around the library for new reading material, they would bump into each other. That first time, Latvia had been a quivering mess in his mind, but he'd managed to hold it together. He'd been headed for the big table in the middle of the shelves of books, but as he'd rounded the corner designated for the S section, Belarus had been seated there.

"O-oh! Excuse me, Miss Belarus, I'll just go to another part of the library." And so he had. Without so much as having met her eyes, Ravis turned on his heel and found a podium in the corner to bear down on so he could write. What he had done to create the storyline, was used his own life. The characters had been giving different names and quirks, and sometimes even genders(because Lithuania made a better sister anyway) and fit them to what happened in his day. Today, the main character would be faced with a choice, just as he had been. Sit with the prettiest girl in the house, or run and hide. Every time, he ran in real life and let his character take his place with the character he'd designed around Belarus, her name was Sophia.

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><p>"Latvia! Oh, Latvia! Come here please." Ravis stood from his desk, hiding his book under his mattress before trotting down the hall toward the voice of a terrifying Russian man calling for him. He turned the corner with a fake smile playing on his lips.<p>

"Welcome home, Mr. Russia. Did you need something?" A wad of filthy clothes was dumped into his arms. They were covered in dirt, snow, and blood. Again. Russia patted his head far too hard, again, and he waited until the man was out of hearing distance to let out a sigh and trudge to the laundry room.

Blood was a difficult substance to get out when wet, let alone dry.

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><p>Why? She asked herself that question far too often for her own liking. But it remained unanswered because she could not fathom a possibility as to why her dear brother preferred that short Baltic over herself. Not that she was that vain, it was just that he was so... boring wasn't the word, but neither was plain. He was just not something of interest, and yet, he was Ivan favorite plaything.<p>

Ivan called for _him _when he came home.

Ivan wanted _him _to clean his clothes.

_Him _to cook dinner.

_Him _to bring vodka.

_Him _to serve as company.

Why. Not. Natalia? All she had _ever _given her brother was devotion, support, and loyalty. What did _Latvia _give him? Nothing more than fake smiles and a punching bag. So why? She caught a glimpse of the boy then, as he made his way down the hall, Ivan's blood soaked clothes in hand.

Natalia chose to follow him. Perhaps it is something she cannot see him doing on first glance. Perhaps she could mimic him... She watched as he set the clothes out on the table and began to vinegar onto the blood stains with little effort. How often does he do this to not need focus? He scrubbed, washed, dabbed again, scrubbed, and rinsed it out. The stain was almost gone now, and another round of the washing and it was as if it never was.

"Hand me that coat." He visibly jumped at the sound of her voice. She'd forgotten that he was been unaware of her observation. Nonetheless, he handed her the newly clean coat and she inspected it carefully.

As if it never was.

She turned back to the boy with a glare. She looked him up and down and really noted the things about him. He was short, a few inches shorter than herself, with dark blonde hair that looked as if it hadn't seen the end of a comb in weeks, and bright blue eyes glancing up to meet her gaze, then going right back to work with the blood. He wasn't unattractive, not grotesque. His face was still rounded out in some places, and his shoulders were not near as broad as they would have become had he hit puberty...

"How old are you?"

He stared at her for a moment, in shock, then blinked and scrubbed a little more.

"19 in a few weeks."

18. How was he so small at 18 years old?

"Why are you so small then? You do not have the profile of a young man." She pointed out, noting as his cheeks reddened slightly.

"Well miss, because I never eat much. Malnutrition, I suppose." He shrugged and put the last stain to death, before hanging the jackets to dry. He moved on to the boots.

"What's so special about you?"

"Excuse me?" She glared at him and re looked back down, "Let me rephrase that, I don't understand the question."

"Why is my brother so fond of you? What do you do to earn his affection?"

At this, Latvia scoffed and scrubbed a little harder.

"Affection? I'd hesitate to call Ivan's attention towards me warmhearted. I'm beaten and bullied, if that's what you mean." The blondes stood in a silence for a moment, with only the sounds of Latvia's continued chores to fill the tense air. Natalia watched him carefully to see if he was lying, and she couldn't detect anything. Obviously he would rather her brother leave him be, which she found odd.

"You are frightened of him, then." This time, light blue eyes met her own quizzically. Stupid boy, does he understand anything? She continued, "That is why you do not enjoy his company. You are weak and small, and frightened of his power." Surely this is the only reason...

"I hate to tell you, but you're wrong Miss Belarus. It's not fear, it's common sense not to get on the bad side of Mother Russia." Latvia sent her a tiny smile, "Especially when he owns you." and set the boots aside to dry.

What a strange boy...

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><p>Ivan had taken Lithuania into town for something political and today was perfect. Why? Because Latvia had gotten all this chores done already and without Toris or Ivan there to give him more, he could write to his heart's content. He ran to his room, pulling the book out from under his mattress and scurried down the hall towards the library, but his feet began to slow as they approached the kitchen. He slowed more and more until he was stopped outside, looking in at Belarus as she cooked their dinner.<p>

She turned around with a stern look towards him.

"Do you need something, Latvia?" At this, he let another smile cross his lips and he took a seat for himself at the table. Ravis is a rather gutsy boy.

"What are you cooking?"

Natalia let her eyes release the glare they held and turned back to the pot, "Stew." A few moment passed, before she heard her companion flipping pages and begin scribbling something. She glanced over her shoulder to see him nose deep in a tattered book, writing the story in it's pages. Without a word, she turned back to her food and dropped a diced onion into the mix.

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><p>AN: Drabbles to help me with another fic~ Enjoy.

EXPECT NO REAL PLOT :DD

-Moi~


	2. Chapter 2

Over the course of a few months, something very strange began to happen. Belarus would take her time to find Latvia during his chores and question him in hopes of finding out why it was that Ivan spent so much time with him. After all, with Ivan gone for the hours of the day to take care of the politics, she had nothing better to do. She had asked him everything she could think of and most of her questions remained unanswered, but as the interrogation had died down, conversation had taken wing and it had become enjoyable. So much so that Latvia would continue those conversations after his chores were done, putting off his story until Natalia got tired of him.

It was a cold day outside, they'd all congregated in the chairs around the fireplace, and made coffee. Ivan and Toris were late in getting home, and by now Ravis could _see_ that it was bothering Natalia. He walked back in to fill Estonia's cup again and made his way to her side.

"I'm sure they are on their way. They probably just got caught up in airport traffic." She started to glare at him, but with a swift glance to assure that Estonia was engrossed in his coding, she gave the blonde a appreciative look. He grinned and refilled her cup before heading back to the kitchen to put the coffee back on the stove.

Unfortunately, halfway through his journey was the time the door chose to open. Lithuania's back was facing the inside and his shoulders quivered with the fear of the sight just beyond him. Latvia darted into the kitchen, tempted now more than ever to grab a kitchen knife, and hid.

Ivan was a few shots away from being drunk. Drunk, he was often a blabbering mess in his room. Tipsy –as he was now– meant his temper was frayed. Now that Ravis thought about it, Lithuania had been supporting himself with one foot more than the other.

"M-M-Mr. Russia, _please_-" Lithuania tried in vain to calm the man before he crossed the threshold, but he was beyond help until dehydration took hold.

"LATVIA!" Ravis flinched violently and bit into his lip at the harsh accent given to his name, "Come here." With some hesitation, and a look at Belarus –stiff in her chair from the sight of her dearest– he forced his legs to shuffle from the protection of the wall and into Ivan's line of sight. He almost screamed. Ivan had seen him enter the kitchen and had been on his way to find him anyway, he was now buried in the huge chest. An arm wrapped around his torso, locking his arms in place –one still holding the coffee– and another running a gloved had through his hair. The gloves were coated with vodka and all other sorts of remnants and clung to his hair, pulling his head back.

"Y-yes, Mr. Russia?" He bite his tongue. This man was the last person he wanted to acknowledge, but one often finds that your body will do what it has to to preserve the life inside it, often of it's own accord. Ivan's eyes opened from the drunken squint they held a moment prior, and the sickening shade of violet made Ravis's blood run cold.

He was going to die tonight.

"I have not seen you enough lately. I feel as if I have abandoned you, but I know I would never do that to a comrade. Perhaps it is you. да. It is you. You have abandoned me, dear _Ravis_." He held the boy painfully tight, a faucet rammed into his spine, forcing the lithe body against Russian muscle that rivaled frozen brick, and purred the words for all to hear.

"I-I-I didn't leave you, Mr. R-Russia." These weren't what he wanted his last words to be.

"Do _not _stutter my name!" His hair was yanked and he nodded as best he could against the hold.

"Мне очень жаль." Perhaps a little of his own language would soothe the man, and it did for the time being. Ravis's hair was released and he held his chin up as he spoke, "I did not leave you, Mr. Russia. I could never do that." Ivan stared at him for a moment. Ravis wasn't lying. He couldn't leave Russia no matter how badly he wanted to, he valued life, and had no friends to help him keep his if he ever escaped.

There was a blur and a heavy set of fingers collided with his face, rattling his brain to the point that when the metal retracted from his back he fell to his knees without thought. Ivan stood over him, glaring and chuckling in a way completely his. The faucet sliced through the air before it melded with Ravis's back with a dull thud, the kind you felt in your chest, even from another room.

Natalia could be testimony to that fact. She felt the vibrations through the air as her eyes refused to unlock from the sight. Ivan really was beating Latvia. Eventually, he gave up, muttering to the boy that,

"Although you have left me, and called me a liar, I will forgive you." He leaned to ruffle Ravis's hair gently before he padded down the hall, beckoning Lithuania to limp after him, a bruise she had not been able to see now visible to Natalia on his face. He was shaking as he left, sending her a pitiful glance.

Latvia slumped his forehead into the floor with a quivering breath as he got his wind back. He managed to lift himself back to his feet, a grimace on his features as he noted the coffee on the floor from when he'd been cupped in the face. She watched him disappear into the kitchen and return with... a rag.

After all that he was going to clean. She glanced at Estonia, who was frozen in his seat, shaky fingers hovered over the keys. He moved his fingers over the touch pad of the laptop, then lifted himself from the chair and walked away. Natalia sat her cup down on a nearby table and walked over to Latvia was he half-tumbled back to the floor to scrub. She reached for the rag and he drew it back to his chest.

"No. It's fine. I dropped it, I'll clean it." He voice sounded gruff and broken. _Now _he seemed the age he was. Belarus didn't like being refused in the least. She _never _offered help, and now that she had she was rejected. It hurt in a way. She was used to it from Ivan –not that _that _felt any better– but Latvia had become someone she though would always want her company.

Natalia stood and walked behind him into the kitchen.

'Why did I do that? She was being nice. Why did I reject her? These past months... down the drain. Great going, Ravis. Brilliant. You lost the girl. Some main character you are.' He got back to his feet and turned for the kitchen, pausing to note that Natalia was at the table, skimming through his book, before cleaning the cloth and setting it to dry. Latvia trudged over and checked the page she was on.

Heh.

The day he met her.

"Who is Sophia?" She didn't look at him, she didn't want to see the colors his cheek was turning. He laughed breathlessly. How could he laugh now?

"The primary love interest. Michael is in love with her." He explained and she nodded, reading more as he took the seat beside her, dropping his face onto his arms. She looked at him after she reached the end. Sophia was after another man. Michael –the main character– was just following her like a puppy in need of a petting.

The sting in her chest was not like any she'd had in a long time. For some reason she was guilt ridden. Natalia went to get up, but paused at watched Latvia for a moment. Ivan would come to the kitchen with a headache. He would find Ravis and the book. Belarus took the book securely in her hands and leaned closer to the boy.

"Latvia. Latvia?" She felt stupid for talking to him like this. He couldn't even hear her. She reached out to touch his forearm. "Ravis?" She shook him lightly and his head bobbed up.

"Natalia?" She grasped his arm and lead him to his feet.

"Come and go to bed. My brother will be down in the morning." That was all she needed to get him hurrying up the stairs, her in tow. When they arrived at his door, he brought a hand to his forehead.

"I forgot my book. I have to-" She handed him the book and ushered him through his door, standing beside the post herself.

"Get some sleep, tomorrow will come early and I am looking forward to the next installment in your book, Ravis." With those words, she closed the door and he found his way to the bed. His brain didn't give him time to think about the butterflies in his stomach before it shut him down to repair itself.

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><p>AN: I swear I LOVE Russia. I don't like making him the bad guy... _really_.

I need more ideas for a continuation, for the sake of my soul I _cannot_ leave it like this.

Oh, and the Russian sentence says I'm Sorry.

- RHT


	3. Chapter 3

A week passed without much going on, Latvia healed quicker than Natalia would have thought and it occurred to her that his body was probably used to it.

They continued to spend time in each others' company though, with Latvia writing more and more in Natalia's presence as she waited for the next chapter. Heck, once she even cracked a smile, and that made Ravis' day.

"Why doesn't Sophia give up on the other man? Michael is clearly a better choice." Natalia was reading over his shoulder now, and he closed the pages with a smile.

"Because she's known him longer, and fell in love with him long ago." Ravis explained, turning in his seat at the sight of Natalia's arms crossed over her chest. She was adorable.

"Sophia is falling for Michael too, is she not?" The girl took a seat at the table in the library and Ravis nodded towards her.

"I intend for her to."

An idea sparked in Natalia's mind and Ravis noticed the way her eyes lightened. He sat his pencil down to listen.

"Will it be in the next chapter? Is that why I cannot read it as you write?" A smirk dared to irk the corners of her mouth towards the sky.

"Oh no, I've been caught." His organs melted when she cracked another small smile, wiping it off quickly and replacing it with her shoulders leaning forward a little more and her eyes shining like the reflection of the sky off a negative-degree pond in summer.

"What are you waiting for? Write! I want to read." She fluttered her hands toward him, compelling his fingers to return to their job.

"Okay, okay."

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><p>Natalia closed the little book Ravis had trusted into her possession with a frown. It had been 17 chapters already and the main characters, although obviously interested in each other, had yet to confess. Now, Belarus was no schoolgirl swooning over a romance, but she held with her belief that feelings should be expressed despite anything.<p>

Like this morning, she had brought her brother his breakfast in bed, after having come home drunk.

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><p>The days the scent of vodka wafted through the house were not far between, but Natalia took the time to notice how thickly the acidic drink coated her senses. Brother must be drinking again, which didn't bother her at all. What surprised her though was the way her feet moved about the house continuously, searching for a certain blonde Latvian.<p>

She finally found him, walking out of Ivan's bedroom. He let out a shaky breath as soon as the door was closed, and she hurried forward. Did he have more bruises?

"Ravis, is Brother drunk?" To her surprise, he smiled.

"Yes, very."

"Why are you happy about that? I've seen what happens to you when he drinks." She followed him down the hallway until they made it to the kitchen once more. He shook his head.

"Drunk is different. He's in his bed crying about his history now. When he is drunk, I have nothing to worry about but hugs." A coffee mug was refilled and spiked with more vodka. A frown was still present on the girl's face as she watched him leave once more with a promise to return.

"Oh!" He turned around and fished in his pocket before pulling out the little red book they'd both grown fond of, "I finished that chapter, it took a while to write correctly." He grinned sheepishly and handed over his favorite possession, then left her once more.

She went to the library and read.

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><p>"You." Lithuania flinched as Natalia's icy glare fell on himself and Latvia. She did little more than cast him a less-than-dirt glance and turn her fury to Ravis. Who, against all possible reason, didn't seem terrified.<p>

"Yes, Miss Natalia?" Was... was he smirking? No. Couldn't be.

"You lied to me. They have _still _not confessed and it has been two chapters. At most, Sophia has become an annoyance." Despite the through chewing he was receiving, Ravis looked pleased with himself as Natalia continued, "She is obviously over that brute. What is keeping Michael? She couldn't possibly make the move, she is a proper young woman. Explain yourself, Ravis."

He took the book back with a wide grin and her eyes narrowed considerably.

"Natalia, this story is not only of my making, it is a collection of my inspirations. The ending is as much up to you as it is me."

Belarus turned on her heel and left.

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><p>She was gorgeous. Well, she's always gorgeous, but at the moment, she was breathtaking. Today was warm, bright, and the day Ivan came home after a conflict with America. Natalia had spent the morning getting dolled up before he came home. Despite his vocabulary, Ravis was set on the fact that there were no words to describe the perfection that she was at the moment.<p>

Her hair shone, her dress velvet and unwrinkled, and the fabric clinging to her figure like her own skin. One thing though, was out of place. Her eyes clouded with worry and her frown seemed deeper than was the norm.

"What has you worried?" She dared not tell him as the curly headed blonde frowned with her. Ivan was coming home and she was sure he would fail to notice her new dress, that part she knew. What she was looking for was if _he _would bother to notice. Once again, she was attempting to unravel his thoughts. Thus far, the effort was fruitless. She offered up a shrug and turned back to the door as it opened.

"Welcome home, Brother." Belarus rushed to say it before Latvia could this time. Despite Ravis being a main focus of her attention, Ivan would always hold a place in her heart and his approval _does _matter. She stared up at him for a moment, his face scrunching in a manner she was far too used to seeing.

"Ah, thank you, Belarus." She was given a very fake smile and he turned to Lithuania.

They walked right past she and Ravis both.

The drop in Natalia's posture was almost unnoticeable, but Ravis was quick to place a hand on her back and offer a shy smile.

"You look beautiful Natalia."

So that was the answer to her question.

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><p>Contrary to any reason anyone had ever thought of, Natalia fell for her brother because he was there to protect her as a child. He was her everything because she had nothing else, and when she acquired such things, he was all that remained of the assurance that she would never be alone. Even if she had to chase him. She had her sister, but Ukraine had her own life to live, and couldn't always be around. Lithuania quickly became a annoyance, and Estonia could not be bothered to care less. Latvia –Ravis– however, had proven himself to be different. Ravis seemed to care. They were almost... friends.<p>

But this wasn't just a friendship, Natalia realized as she finished yet another chapter of Ravis' tale. She was still waiting for the main characters to find love in each other, because Ravis was still waiting on her to accept him in the same way.

What had he said about the ending of the book being up to her?

Now it all made sense.

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><p>"Good morning, Natalia." His words were spoken in such a manner that her stomach turned a flip, and the smile on his face –a rather cute face– made her ears grow warm. Thank God her hair was long enough to hide her emotions.<p>

"Good morning Ravis. I've finished your chapter, and I've come to a conclusion." She sat her cup on the table and flipped her wrist to tap the book on his chest, as he had approached the chair where she sat.

"Oh?" He arced an eyebrow, taking hold of the end of the book. She released the covers, but pressed it flat onto his chest, staring him down.

"You told me that I had a say so in the ending, and I have decided how I'd like it to end." Ravis broke out into a grin.

"Tell me and it shall be written."

"I would rather show you." The hand that had pressed his book to his chest slid up and caught him by the collar, tugging him just enough that he leaned down, though as quickly as she had started pulling he had sped up and kissed her sweetly. There was little tilting, no tongue, and it couldn't have been more than two seconds, but it was perfect.

"I can't wait to write out the rest of it now, with you."

This time, they both let themselves smile for the briefest of moments.

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><p>AN: There~ It's finished. No more drabble~ Back to my main plot.

Hope you guys like it~

SPREAD THE CRACK LOVE WITH ME?


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